VCE Philosophy
VCE Online Learning Support
VAPS has launched an online learning system to support VAPS members currently teaching VCE Philosophy.
VAPS is offering this support for free to all members in response to the COVID-19 situation and how schools are being affected.
This resource may be used by teachers individually to access resources and collaborate with other teachers.
It may also be used be students, invited by their teacher, to participate in online learning and collaboration with the VAPS VCE teachers, mentors, and peers. Students will benefit from from activities and interactive discussions on the philosophical topics covered in VCE Philosophy.
AITSL has provided advice on evidenced base online teaching & learning:
Evidence indicates collaborative learning in online environments enhances student learning more so than individual learning (Means et al., 2010 cited in Cherney, Fetherston, & Johnsen, 2018), and that interaction is essential (Simonson et al., 2011). (link)
Please contact the Chair, Ben Kilby, if you are interested in accessing this resource for yourself and/or your students.
Here is a video demonstrating some of the benefits for students. It is designed as a tutorial for students to understand how to participate in discussions. However, it can also serve as a demonstration to give insight to any VCE teachers reading this who might be interested in joining.
VCE Network
Semester 2 VCE Network Meetings
TBA
The structure and content of VCE Network meetings will be determined via a survey that was recently sent out. VCE Members are invited to respond to the survey to find out their preference for:
a) day/time
b) content for the sessions (SAC moderation, text discussion etc).
The survey is also be a chance to seek interest from those who may want to present in the VCE stream at the conference mid-year.
For those who missed the survey, you can still respond here.
Contacts:
VCE Forums
VCE Unit 3 Forum
Sunday 17 May at ONLINE ONLY
Speakers:
Associate Professor Olivia Carter, Associate Professor in Psychology at the University of Melbourne will present on Consciousness & Neuroscience
Dr Laura Schroeter, Senior Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Melbourne will present on Nagel & Smart.
Professor Margaret Cameron, Head of School in Philosophy & History at the University of Melbourne will present on Personal Identity
***This event will be wholly online due to COVID-19***
VCE Unit 4 Forum
Sunday 26 July at University of Melbourne
Melbourne Graduate School of Education 234 Queensberry St, The University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010 Australia
Speakers TBC
(***Be aware that this event will move online if COVID-19 is still preventing gathering for taking pace in a safe manner***)
Contact:
Getting Prepared
The Chief Examiner's Report from 2018 is now available. Please find it here. The 2019 Chief Examiner's Report will be available later in the year.
The 2020 exam specifications are available here.
The 2020 study design can be accessed here. Also have a look at the new 2019-2023 prescribed texts here.
VCE Collaboration Fund
The VCE Collaboration Fund can be found here. This fund aims to support regional and rural schools in offering more VCE subject choices to their students. VAPS has no association with this funding, however we recognise that in smaller areas of Victoria it may be hard to offer VCE Philosophy. This funding from the Department of Education may help school to deliver VCE Philosophy in their school. Applications for this funding close of 30 April, 2020.
Contact
Please see our website and events calendar page of this newsletter for full details about venues, times, and registrations for all events.
Please join the VAPS VCE google group here.
Please join our VAPS VCE Facebook group here.